On Wednesday, October 6, detectives from the Woodbridge Police Department arrested a second suspect in connection with the death of a West Haven man that occurred on June 7, 2021 on the property of the Pease Road Playground/Alegi Athletic Fields, 160 Pease Road, Woodbridge.
The victim, 33-year-old Rondell Atkinson of West Haven, died of multiple gunshot wounds. Rickey Traynham charged with murder
Arrested today was Rickey Traynham, 26, of New Haven, who was charged with felony murder, murder, first-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery, two counts of criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a large capacity magazine.
Traynham has been incarcerated since July 11, 2021, following his arrest by detectives from the Woodbridge Police Department and Connecticut State Police Central District Crime for the charge of Larceny 2nd Degree for being in possession of the deceased victim’s motor vehicle after the incident. Traynham was presented for arraignment today for these additional charges and is being held in lieu of a $2,000,000 court set bond.
Jorden Rudel was the first arrest.
On July 1, 2021, Detectives from the Woodbridge Police Department and the Connecticut State Police arrested Jorden Rudel, 24, of Derby for his role in this homicide.
Rudel remains in Connecticut Department of Corrections custody on a $2,000,000 bond after being charged on that date with felony murder, murder, first-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit first degree robbery and second-degree larceny.
The police investigation revealed that on the evening of June 7, 2021, the victim traveled to the park with Traynham and Rudel, who then robbed him of his personal belongings, and after shooting him multiple times and leaving him in the parking lot, fled in his vehicle. The body of the deceased victim was discovered the following morning by a jogger who alerted authorities.
Woodbridge Police Chief Frank Cappiello praised the tenacious efforts of not only the detectives from his agency, but also those from the Connecticut State Police Central District Major Crime and Emergency Services Units and the New Haven Police Department, along with personnel from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the State of Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, who collectively worked to identify all those responsible for committing this heinous crime.
